Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 84

She glanced at him sideways, smiled leisurely, and fell into her memories.

“When I turned around then… I thought, how could there be such a beautiful person in the world… even though they were kneeling, their eyes were incredibly sharp, staring straight at me…”

That outstanding and brilliant young man is as vivid as he was yesterday.

"At that time, I felt that you were definitely going to be a problem."

"So that's what you thought. No wonder you ignored me for a whole year." He couldn't help but bite his small earlobe, complaining with considerable dissatisfaction.

She chuckled softly, her neck hunched, her eyes glazed over with reminiscence.

"It's not that... At first, I hadn't decided whether I should send you on this mission. Once you're on this path, there's no turning back, but later..."

"I realized I couldn't even protect myself."

"...It's my fault for not being able to protect you. You're too conspicuous, while I'm just a lowly Seven Killer...I have to make you stronger."

"You've been helping me all along."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't put it so nicely, I've been using you to help me all along." She gently fiddled with her chopsticks, listening to the crisp sound of them clattering together. "I know you want to go back... I'm sure you can make it through."

"Just like you want to kill the Pope."

Jia Ye smiled slightly, her pearly white teeth like pearls. "You're right, having a goal is what keeps you going."

What are your goals now?

She paused for a moment, her eyes shimmering like water.

"I want to get you drunk so I can do whatever I want with you."

He chuckled softly, then immediately lay down obediently, spreading out his long limbs. "You can go ahead now, I promise I won't move."

She laughed too, yawning at her slender fingers, the feigned ferocity not quite succeeding on her beautiful face. After a few weak tickles yielded no response, she cleverly noticed the change in her trembling eyebrows, immediately adjusting her position. Soon, the tickling became unbearable for him, and he couldn't help but laugh, forced to restrain her hand.

"…………You promised." The person who was restrained persisted, her delicate face slightly reproachful.

“Try it.” He admitted to cheating, and said it with righteous indignation. “I’d rather you take a knife and cut me.”

Her narrow shoulders were pulled to his chest, and she could hear his strong heartbeat as a smile played on her lips. Her fingertips tickled his palm, and after much hesitation, he finally turned her over and punished her mischievousness with a deep kiss.

She didn't sleep that day.

She smiled and drank cup after cup with him, her bright black eyes brimming with warm affection, her face radiant and charming, her tenderness like water. The aroma of wine filled the air, the food looked delicious, and she was in a better mood than ever before. She finished a whole jar but still felt like she hadn't had enough. She shook the empty jar, trying to pour out some more.

The wine jar was very light, with only a small amount of wine remaining. Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard, and after it was turned over and tilted, something fell out and landed in the cup, turning the entire cup green.

Upon picking it up, it turned out to be a piece of clear, lustrous green jade.

The jade's color flows like water, resembling the emerald green of spring. It is flawless, with exquisite carving depicting a hundred kinds of fragrant flowers swaying and swaying, lively and bright, reaching the pinnacle of artistry. A colorful butterfly, drawn by the fragrance, dances lightly among the flowers, lifelike and graceful.

Jia Ye leaned closer, took the document in his palm, and examined it once, his dark eyes gradually becoming misty.

"How could it be in the wine..." He examined it for a long time, and it was indeed an ordinary wine jar, sealed with mud for many years. This piece of jade had been soaking for who knows how long, and its luster had not diminished at all.

A smile spread across her delicate face like water, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"Perhaps fine wine can produce jade over many years?" she joked playfully, tossing the jade aside, only to have him pick it up again.

"Not yours?" He locked his clear, unfathomable eyes.

"Who knows where it came from?" She pursed her lips, her expression completely unchanged. "I just heard there was some aged wine buried there for many years, and I was curious enough to dig it up and take a look."

You don't want it?

"No." She really didn't care and didn't even glance at it again.

"Then I'll take it." He grasped the cold object in his palm and stared at her face.

The hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly for a moment. "Take it if you like it. It's a gift for you."

West

That day was as sweet as a dream.

If it's not jade held in his palm, he'll doubt its authenticity.

I don't know when Jia Ye drugged me, and I was tricked again. When I woke up, I was already sent back to my lodging by the people from the King's Mansion. Qing Lan naged me for a long time before I could finally have some peace and quiet.

Butterflies again.

It's still in the wine jar that's been buried for many years.

The jade itself was priceless, let alone the exquisite carving, yet she showed no interest and discarded it like trash.

The intelligence gathered by Silver Swan was elusive and confusing.

Jun Suiyu's father, Jun Ruoxia, married Princess Qingyue. It is said that the couple had a very deep and respectful relationship. Jun Ruoxia was dashing and debonair, and rarely had any romantic entanglements. Moreover, he fell ill and died young not long after his wife's death, leaving no doubt about it.

But... he had a villa in Yangzhou, where he had lived for a period of time more than a decade ago. He loved the scenery of that garden so much that he later moved all the houses and trees to Xijing (present-day Xi'an) and built an identical Huayuan. The cost of such a large and meticulous relocation was astronomical, and many years later people still marveled at it and told the story, which became another example of the Jun family's extravagance.

The garden where Jia Ye lived... vaguely resembled the architectural style of Yangzhou.

A preference for Yangzhou cuisine… a home filled with delicacies, a broken Hetian jade ear cup, a father who showered her with affection yet harbored a hidden resentment… the vanished jade urn containing bones…

Jun Ruoxia went to great lengths to replicate the exact same courtyard. What is important, the mansion itself or the people who once lived there?

Countless speculations flashed by like a revolving lantern, and the vague answer seemed to be emerging, yet there was no way to verify it.

Jia Ye... Jun Pian Xian...

He stared intently at a piece of jade, his mind filled with a pair of clear, dark eyes, full of captivating charm, their gaze both reproachful and affectionate. They resembled a colorful butterfly fluttering in the air, making one want to hold onto its beauty while fearing to harm its wings. His heart was in turmoil, adrift and uncertain, impossible to grasp.

A hand suddenly snatched the jade, but he reacted swiftly, flipping his wrist to retrieve it. His sharp eyes followed, and a slightly dark-skinned man stared at him with a wicked grin.

"Nine Micro!"

After not seeing each other for several years, the joy was immense. They went up and playfully punched each other a few times, bursting into laughter with grimaces, feeling incredibly happy.

"Should I congratulate you on becoming the King of Pop?" he joked with a smile, looking his friend up and down. Perhaps because of the fierce power struggle, Jiuwei had gained an incomparably powerful and domineering aura, and was also more arrogant and confident.

"Pah!" Jiuwei complained without any politeness. "Back then, you just patted your butt, ran off with someone, and didn't care whether I lived or died. Stop pretending to be sympathetic."

He retorted without a trace of shame. "You still dare to say that? Do you think I don't know how happy you were that she left? Now you're complaining."

Jiuwei laughed heartily, her expression subtly conveying her gratitude. "That's right. Although I'm missing your help, losing half of Qianming's forces makes me incredibly happy. You didn't see how grumpy Qianming's face was those few days. He thought he could kill two birds with one stone, but he ended up losing both his wife and his army."

It was easy to guess. "He seriously overestimated Jia Ye's ambition."

"I thought it was just an excuse, but who knew she really had no lingering attachment to the relationship," Jiuwei teased with a mischievous smile. "She was all seduced by his good looks... Oh dear..."

"Screw your charm," he retorted with a laugh. "You were the one who used that trick on Zi Su."

The two, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, burst into laughter again.

The room was a mess of cups and plates, with empty wine jugs scattered all over the floor. Jiuwei popped a peanut into her mouth and, slightly tipsy, confessed to secrets she had never shared with anyone before.

"...Being the King of the Church is no easy task. Every day you have to watch the backstabbing and infighting below, and you have to be constantly vigilant. If you're not careful, one wave can come and you're all gone... I've spent so much effort and sweat to get to my current position, and I can't even get a good night's sleep..."

"Didn't you already get rid of Qianming?" She felt a pang of pity, but her words were still sharp and persistent.

“Not only Qian Ming, I even killed Zi Su.” Jiu Wei gave a bitter smile. “She was too ambitious, using her charm and cunning to gather a group of people, posing a great threat…”

Zi Su also... He was taken aback. "There has never been a female leader of the Heavenly Mountain Sect."

"She did seem to be thinking that way." A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, his domineering aura appearing and disappearing in an instant. "Unfortunately, the opportunity is gone."

"It seems you've had a tough few years." After rummaging around for a while, he picked out a wine pot that was still half full and poured the other person a cup.

"I'm exhausted." Jiuwei downed her drink in one gulp, smacked her lips in frustration, "To be honest, I often envy that you can just walk away, but once you get to this position, you have to see it through to the end, otherwise you'll suffer an even worse fate."

"Now that we're enjoying such great success, it's all worth it."

Jiuwei understood what he meant, and smiled with a complicated and helpless expression, "Of course, it's still a little better than failure."

He felt a pang of sympathy and sighed, just as Jiuwei also sighed.

The two were taken aback, then burst into laughter, their gloomy expressions vanishing. Jiuwei reverted to his old ways, displaying his usual carefree and unrestrained nature.

"What's going on between you and Jia Ye? I heard from Bi Jun that things aren't going well?" He raised his thick eyebrows incredulously. "You still haven't won her over after all this time?"

He rolled his eyes. "You think I'm like you, able to kidnap someone and that's it?"

Jiuwei suddenly smiled ambiguously, her eyes flashing. "So you succeeded. Come to think of it, with your looks, what woman couldn't you win over? Tell me, how did it taste?"

"Go to hell." He spat it out in annoyance. "You're always thinking dirty thoughts."

"Men, you know." Jiuwei said dismissively, moving even closer with increasing interest, as if she wanted to discuss this in detail. "How does it feel to hold her? Needless to say, you're definitely her first man. Her physique is probably a bit lacking, but her skin looks good, and it must feel very smooth to the touch..."

An apple silenced his incessant chatter.

"It's wonderful, are you satisfied now?" He tried to stop himself from recalling it, but a smile couldn't help but spread across his face.

"Satisfied my foot! There's not a single detail." Jiuwei reluctantly pulled off an apple and took a bite, knowing she wouldn't get any answers. "Smiling so lewdly, it seems she really does give you a thrill."

With amusement in his eyes, he only said one sentence: "It's better than you can imagine."

"Tch." Jiuwei scoffed. "Aren't all women the same? What's so special about them?"

He didn't refute, just smiled, a smile that seemed to conceal boundless satisfaction, making one want to smash the plate of food in his face. The more ambiguous he was, the more itchy Jiuwei became. After all her interrogations yielded no results, she was so annoyed that she had no choice but to make conversation. "Fine, don't tell me then. Since you succeeded, how did you end up like this?"

He was caught in the throes of his own thoughts, and could no longer laugh; a bitter feeling welled up inside him.

"I wanted to marry her, but she refused."

"She's willing to stay with you, but not to marry you?" Jiuwei was taken aback.

He shook his head. "She didn't want to be with me at first because of her family background..." he briefly explained, "but now that I've found her, I don't understand why."

Jiuwei vaguely understood something and sighed knowingly. "It's not surprising. For someone as proud as her to have to be submissive is worse than killing her. With your family background, you couldn't possibly tolerate such an arrogant daughter-in-law. She and your father are like kings who can't meet."

“So I want to leave home.” He stared blankly at a spot, lost in thought. “That’s the only way to keep her here, but she… she’s hidden so well that even ghosts couldn’t find her. I spent four years searching for her, but she still keeps me at arm’s length.”

"And she's suddenly become a renowned member of the royal court." Jiuwei was completely baffled. "What exactly is her relationship with Jun Suiyu?"

"Perhaps she was originally from there." Although it cannot be confirmed, it is the most likely to be true.

Jun Suiyu once mentioned that she resembled an old friend. What kind of old friend could make a local tyrant travel all the way to Yangzhou to personally verify her identity, and even be willing to use force to annex the Fang family to fulfill his wish? He did not believe that Jun Suiyu would casually recognize a sworn sister.

Jiuwei's gaze froze for a moment, then she gave a dry laugh in disbelief.

"How is that possible? Would someone like that go to the Tianshan Mountains?"

He didn't laugh, and slowly recounted the details of his investigation, including the few words Jia Ye had unintentionally mentioned, and even the jade he had acquired by chance a few days earlier.

Jiuwei roused herself and pondered for a long time, still somewhat doubtful.